


Beyond

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dark Fantasy, F/M, Fluff, Forests, Knight Kylo Ren, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 04:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16987698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: When former Knight of Ren Kylo Ren/Ben Solo comes back home, he meets a mysterious woman at the edge of a forest. Here are two one-shots with very different endings of what happens when he decides to go beyond the edge of the forbidden Takodana Woods.





	1. Beyond the Light

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Star Wars. I'm just here for beautiful Reylo moments lol. These two one-shots are inspired by a photomanip prompt in the Reylo fic Recs group on Facebook. The artist is bolzedor-ufo and can be found on tumblr! Check her out! This first one is very fluffy, while the second one is not. I hope you enjoy it!

“Now get out of here, Knight Killer!”

And just like that, Ben Solo found himself kicked out of the last inn in the small village where he had grown up. He had been kicked out or kept away from everything else all his life; why was now any different?

This inn had let him stay until he opened his big mouth and destroyed something. Now, he had only himself to blame as he sat on the ground and ruminated about where he did belong. Nowhere seemed to be the answer since all his family was dead now, and no one remembered him well or wanted him. He sat and wallowed in self-pity - he couldn't afford to pay for anything else he broke, as much as he wanted to destroy more - until he heard a slight, tinkling giggle. It sounded like everything he wasn't, happy and carefree.

He used to be like that, whenever he imagined what the woods held as a child. Ever since he had been young, Ben had been interested in the woods just outside Chandrila. However, Ben always wanted what he could not have since no one was allowed to enter the woods, but even the mayor's son.

As a teenager, Ben fought against his family's expectations since his family didn't trust him or believe that he could take care of himself. He had wanted to prove them wrong, and he still did now, that gnawing ache to prove himself and enter the forest worse now that he knew that his parents had died before he could reconcile with them and show them that he was better.

He had been Chandrila's golden boy, but that opinion changed when he became a knight, left his uncle Luke, and joined the command of James Snoke among the king's armies. He had been Kylo Ren, one of the many Knights of Ren, until he had turned Snoke in for treason. People still didn't trust him, as the innkeeper proved. 

“All I ever wanted was to belong,” he murmured.

The light, resonant laughter from before happened again. The inn was at the village's edge, next to an opening in the wall that led to Takodana Woods. Those woods had been forbidden to him since he could remember, so much that he didn't even give them a passing look now despite his desire to explore the woods every day growing up. 

Now, his curiosity was piqued; who was giggling? Was she in the forest? 

He got up, grabbed his old, hairy carpetbag that he had inherited from his father, and set out to find the telltale giggle. He had enough food, weapons, and supplies to last weeks in the forest, ready to find the giggler and explore the forest to his heart's content. He could finally see the forest.

He followed the giggles along the edge of the forest a while further, trying to pinpoint the location of the speaker. Years of searching for survivors from battle kicked in, and he wanted to find someone yet again. The ones he found were some of the few people who always welcomed him; no one at home or among his ranks ever seemed to appreciate him.

He saw a lithe figure bathed in shadow at the edge of the forest. He ran toward it, and soon after the figure laughed again and entered the woods. 

He stopped at the edge of the forest, years of reprimands and reprisals making him unable to move.

“What's wrong?” asked a low female voice. “Are you sad, good knight? Are you afraid of the forest?”

“No, I'm not afraid,” he said, his ears turning red at the notion. “I wish I were good. However, there is much in my past I'm not proud of.”

“Do you wish to move on from it?” she asked.

If he turned his head just so, he could make out her figure among the trees. She seemed to be wearing a vest of some sort, along with a pair of loose-fitting pants. Her hair was pulled away from her face in some fashion. 

“Yes. I wish to be free of my past; I want to kill it,” he said passionately.

He waited for her to laugh at him or tell in him it was impossible to do, as everyone else did. He waited for the rejection that always hurt.

“You can never escape it, but you can face it and learn from it. Come into the forest with me. Everything makes sense after a night of reflection under the stars,” she said, turning toward the heart of the woods.

“How can I trust you?” he asked, his hesitation making her stop moving.

“You can't, silly,” she said with a laugh. “But that's half of the fun of entering the woods. Sometimes you must do something scary to grow. Let's go!”

She dashed into the forest with a whoop of glee. He continued to stare at the spot where she had been. Out of habit, he always stopped at the edge of the forest, but then, he realized that he was free. Free from his family, from Snoke, and from having to follow anyone's expectations. Everyone now already thought ill of him; he couldn't do worse. He could go and do whatever he wanted, and no one would care. It was time to do as she suggested and move on from his past.

He took his first steps into the unknown. He had been in many forests elsewhere as a knight, but never these. As soon as he entered them, he felt a shiver of awareness run through him, as though he were coming home. The wildness of this area called out to the wild restlessness within him as he was always wandering and trying to find belonging. 

After that first step, he took off, determined to follow the woman. The grass at the edge of the forest was soft and wet after a recent rainfall, and the smell of wet grass was an old friend after many years of fighting and journeying. It soon gave way to twig-filled grounds, large patches of dirt broken up by bits of small shrubberies and dead leaves. 

Between random shouts of “this way” and “keep up with me, tall knight”, the first few hours of jogging with his torch went quickly. Her extensive knowledge of the woods allowed her to outstrip him and stay ahead of him. 

Her voice stayed light and easy-going until she was so far ahead that she got annoyed. 

“Do you want to get to the glen, or not?”

Urgency filled him to try and catch up.

“I do!” he said. “I'm going as fast as I can in unfamiliar territory-”

At that moment, he took his eyes off the ground in order to look for her. When he did, he tripped over an overgrown tree root and fell with a loud grunt.

“What happened? Are you alright?” she called, her voice getting closer. 

“I fell. Running faster isn't wise, it seems. Even the trees hate me.”

Her voice was more subdued and closer when she asked, “What's your name?”

“Ben. Ben Solo,” he replied, getting up slowly. “What's yours?”

“Rey. I'll try to go a little more slowly from now on.”

For a time, they walked slowly because of how he had twisted his ankle. Thankfully, it wasn't broken, and eventually, she began to grow excited and talk more as their destination drew near.

“We're so close to the glen now. Come on, keep up! I want to show you my home.”

He tried to go faster until he could see a slight sliver of blue light ahead.

“I think I see it.”

“Good! I'm going ahead. Join me there, Ben.”

He walked with slow, sure steps until he heard her voice again. This time, an edge of desperation was there.

“Ben? I think I need your help.”

Worry and panic filled him. He started sprinting.

“I'm coming! Where are you?”

“At the far edge of the glen. You're so close now. Please, hurry.”

“What's wrong?” he called out, a new edge entering his voice.

After a long time, she admitted ruefully, “I can't move.”

He stopped a moment to ponder her words. They didn't make sense.

“Are you stuck?”

Again she paused for a long time. “Yes. I need you to free me. Please help me. I know I've been teasing you and staying away, but I do want to help you-”

“I'm coming right now,” he interrupted. “Don't worry.”

She sighed as a current of excitement filled him. He was ready to find a purpose once more. 

He thought he had been destined to be a knight. That sense of destiny landed him in the least-liked group of knights known. Snoke had less morals than anyone else, but he valued Ben's strength and independence. Ben stayed with Snoke for ten years, thinking that Snoke trusted him, and then he found out the truth: Snoke was just trying to build a loyal army so that he could overthrow the king. He never trusted Ben with any of his machinations, preferring to make him do all the dirty grunt work. Ben was furious.

Ben did right by his family and found what he thought was his purpose for the time by turning in Snoke. The issue was afterward: what did he do now that he was tainted? His future was a great void, a series of questions and fears. Now, the forest that he had abandoned was showing him that, perhaps, sometimes it was better to wait. That sometimes good could come from the evil if he was open and not afraid.

He stopped at the edge of the light, the entrance of the glen outlined. This was another door, and he instinctively that there was no coming back from this once he entered, his life forever altered. The veil of blue light filling and saturating everything in the glen beckoned him forward, just as her pleas for help did. 

This time, he would be open to the future and not conform to anyone's expectations. This time, he was his own man, and he would make his own destiny instead. He reached out into the light. His hand pushed through the curtain of willow tree branches that stood in his way, and as he touched the branches, something warm and fierce rushed through him, emboldening him. His other hand grasped the branches, and soon, he was stepping beyond the edge of the light and into it fully. 

As he walked through the glen, he felt the light envelop him in a way he never had before. His head and life had new clarity as the light penetrated every dark space within him. The sounds of the forest faded into unnatural stillness, and all focus turned to Rey. 

At first glance, he didn't see anyone else in the glen with him as he stood in the center. When he blinked, he saw her. He had to blink several more times to understand what he was seeing.

“Ben! Over here,” she said encouragingly. 

Her head was in the branches of a short tree or bush while the rest of her body seemed pinned against a tree trunk. He rushed over to her until he could see her fully, no shadows from the trees to hinder his view of her now.

In the pale moonlight, she seemed ethereal. She was tiny compared to him, and she was straining against her closed vest, the fabric very thin based on how it bunched up. Her hair was done up in three buns, and she was wearing some sort of headdress with horns on it. The horns had gotten stuck in some branches. 

“How can I help?”

Her face and body cringed before she said, “My vest. It's stuck. It's attached to a branch somehow. I want to be free of this vest.”

“Do you trust me?” he asked seriously, drawing as close to her as he could without touching.

Her eyes ran up and down the length of him, and she found him satisfactory. The light in her eyes and her smile told him everything he had ever wanted to be told by his family, by Snoke, and everyone else in his life. 

“Yes.”

Drawing a dagger from his side, he pulled down and sliced open the vest, leaving the sleeveless undershirt on her still. She sighed in relief when she could move her torso freely.

“Thank you. I’m not used to asking for help. I've always done it all on my own.”

“Not while I'm around,” he said, earning him a gracious look. 

Their eyes met, and they shared a moment. There was a new understanding between them, and it pushed her to take the next step. 

“Can you help with my head as well?”

“Why not just take off the headdress and horns?”

Her face crumpled. “Because I can't. They're a part of me. They always have been.”

He stared at the horns, looking for the means by which they were attached to her. He leaned in and ran his hands along her horns and scalp until he was satisfied. She tried valiantly not to close her eyes at having him touch her head so gently; she loved the touch and affection more than she cared to admit. She gave a little breathy sigh, content that he wasn't running away. When he pulled back just as suddenly, she opened her eyes in defeat. 

“I was afraid that'd you hate me because I'm different. That's why I didn't show myself. If you're not going to do something, just go,” she said, her voice hard and edged with frustration. 

Her words shook him out of a stupor, his brain still racing at finally discovering one of the many mythological creatures that he had heard stories of growing up. 

His hands found the tips of her horns as he said, “No, I'll help. I'm not afraid or disgusted.”

As he worked, he noticed that a small branch was also stuck in one of her buns. He undid the bun, and as it fell loose, the other buns followed. When he freed her, he pulled away and showed her the scar on the right side of his face, the proof of his past.

“When people see this scar or hear of who I used to serve as a knight, they fear me and don't trust me. I understand you far better than you can imagine. I'm alone. I've always been alone.”

“Not as much as I have,” she declared passionately. “I was left in this forest as a child; my herd was foraging and forgot about me. I'm utterly alone.”

“All my family is dead, too,” he said. “They died before I could ask for forgiveness for what I did to them and my uncle.”

“I'm sorry,” she said, her hands reaching out and grabbing his. 

For a moment, the two revelled in the feeling of belonging, of finding someone who understood. Rey's eyes closed before she began crying. Ben’s eyes remained open as he tried to memorize each feature of Rey. When he saw her tears, he let go of one of her hands to pull her to himself.

She buried herself in his chest, eager to accept the comfort.

“I want to move on from this, Rey, but how?” he asked. “I tried to do the right thing, but I failed.”

“Do you know better now? Do you know what you want?” she asked, voice muffled by his clothing.

“Yes,” he said, looking down at her as new realization hit him harder than a horse running at lightspeed. “I want to belong..”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“I want to belong, too. I've always wanted it. I've always felt so alone.”

Her words pushed him forward, to say what wanted to burst from his heart. 

“You're not alone, not anymore,” he replied. “I'm going to stay here with you.”

“But your world-”

“I don't care about it. I've always felt a connection to this forest. Now I know why. Please, let me stay. Let me try to do better for you.”

She pulled her head away to look at him seriously. When she was satisfied, she smiled. Both had found the acceptance they had been longing for.

“I would love that. Stay here with me, Ben.”


	2. Beyond the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are darker here. Ye been warned!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Star Wars. This one-shot is inspired by art of bolzedor-ufo; find her on tumblr! Here's a darker ending to the story.

“There. One day, they'll all thank me,” he said, wiping the dirt off of his hands.

 

He had already washed the blood of Snoke off of his hands, but Snoke’s blood, like so many others he had killed while serving under Snoke, would always be there, under the surface. 

 

Not that it mattered to Kylo Ren, though. The well-known “Knight Killer” had earned his reputation early on, ever since his uncle so many years ago.

 

All of it didn't matter now, anyway. He thought serving under Snoke would cure his desire for adventure and exploring Takodana Woods, the forbidden wilds of his childhood. 

 

It hadn't despite years of war, and even Snoke was afraid of entering those woods, too superstitious to do so. Kylo, however, was not. He hadn't earned his name for being gentle. He had been long ago. Back then, he simply wanted to venture beyond…. 

 

Beyond the confines of his large brick house and the boring life he led as a village leader's son. Beyond the walls of the village. Beyond the expectations of his family that choked the life out of him.

 

He wanted to enter the forbidden wood. Now he could; there was no one stopping him now. What could be out there that he hadn't already seen, anyway?

 

As he walked from the unmarked grave of Snoke, not far from the marked ones of his family, he stayed outside the village walls. He knew what he wanted to do after coming home for the first time in ten years: explore the woods. 

 

Armed with his old, hairy carpetbag, a torch, and his armor/weapons, he made the quick walk to the edge of the forest.

 

“Good evening, adventurer.”

 

He stopped and looked at the lush, tall trees and grass that surrounded him. He heard the sultry, female voice but saw no one. 

 

“Are you lost, good knight?”

 

“I never said I was good,” he replied, trying to peer into the woods. “Who are you? Where are you?”

 

“Even better,” the satisfied voice said, somehow closer. “I am a resident of these woods.”

 

“So you know the woods? I thought no one was allowed in these woods. They're enchanted,” he murmured. 

 

“So they are. But if you've lived here long enough, you become one with the magic.”

 

He took a deep gulp of air, the new information exhilarating. 

 

“Do you seek magic, brave knight? Do you wish to know more?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He took a step into the forest, earning him a purr of approval.

 

“What is your name, worthy seeker?”

 

“Kylo Ren.”

 

“Follow me, Kylo. Let me show you to the center of these woods, where the magic is concentrated. There you will find everything you desire.”

 

“I would follow you anywhere, good helper,” he replied, bowing slightly to the unseen woman. 

 

She laughed, and as she did so, the jewelry she was wearing jangled lightly. “I'm Rey.”

 

“Rey,” he said trying the name out. 

 

If he could convince her to bring him to the magic sooner, then he would do it. He was  _ sure  _ that this was why he had always desired to enter the woods; it was his destiny to become one with the magic. Power was fleeting, just as money was useless when alone. Knowledge - magic - lasted forever. He desired  _ everything. _

 

The ancient trees with their wide, green leaves completely blocked out the full moon out that night, and he was glad that he had brought a torch and some candles. Twigs and old leaves crackled under his booted feet as he walked quickly through the forest. The woods were never entered, so there were no good paths that allowed him to sprint. He could only find the slight, natural paths that occasionally wound around the wide oak trees, tiny acorns providing his only stumbling block. 

 

At first, he would call out her name. It was only later he figured out that she would call upon him when she pleased; he couldn't convince her to do anything sooner. When she did speak at first, it was light, laughing at him when he ran into a tree, or asking him if he could go any slower. As time went on, though, it changed. Sometimes he only heard her jewelry jingle. Then she only said his name over and over again, almost like a chant.

 

“Kylo.”

 

The tone of voice went lower, taking on a blatantly seductive quality. He took off his helmet in order to hear her better. 

 

“Oh, Kylo.”

 

The words, when she said more than his name, were more spaced out, as though emphasizing each word as she spoke. He entered the darkest part of the woods. At the same time, a strong wind blew through the trees, causing the torchlight to go out.

 

And then there was darkness. His eyes adjusted quickly to the lack of light, and his hands shot out in front of him, his long arms finally good for something as he felt for tree branches and trunks, pushing things away where he had to.

 

“Kylo.”

 

She seemed so close, as though she were just off to the right of him as she led him in that direction. It was easy to imagine her dressed in something shimmery, like the moonlight reflecting on the lake. It filled him with dark desire, to find the magic and then use it on the woman who had been teasing him all night.

 

“Kylo.”

 

His blood began to heat up from the now intimate, familiar way she whispered his name into his ear. It was as though she were just off to his left, so he moved to the left.

 

“Kylo.”

 

Now she was just behind him. He could smell something in the air, a slight difference from the usual dirt and trees. It smelled wild and fresh, like the air he breathed in while climbing mountains. 

 

“Please.”

 

This time, her voice was a caress, and he could  _ feel  _ the word on the back of his neck. The air around his neck became moist and hot, and he stopped moving.

 

“Please what?” he returned, voice husky with swirling emotions and desires. 

 

He was sure she was taunting him somehow; he felt another breath of hot air whoosh across his neck before he heard her speak. 

 

“Please come forward. You're so close now.”

 

He took a few tentative steps, stepping past a wide tree trunk. As he did so, the blue light of the sky and moon filtered through the thin line of leaves and trees in a glen up ahead. He quickened his steps at seeing the light.

 

“Just….a little….further,” she gasped out.

 

His heart was pounding, and he was sweating. All he wanted was to find her and stop her from speaking. Her voice made him think of dark, dangerous things he had always wanted to try. He couldn't afford distractions just yet, though. He needed the magic first. 

 

“Come find your destiny at long last,” she said, her words a soft tease, even if now further away. 

 

He stopped at the edge of the light. It was as though a veil of blue light had fallen, saturating everything in an unnatural blue light. He reached out a hand, and he pushed through the physical curtain of willow branches that stood in his way. As he touched the branches, something cold and fierce rushed through him, emboldening him. His other hand grasped the branches, and soon, he was stepping into the light. The sounds of the forest faded into unnatural stillness as the willow branches fell into place. 

 

At first glance, he didn't see anyone else in the glen with him. When he blinked, he saw her. He had to blink several more times to understand  _ what  _ he was seeing.

 

“Rey.”

 

“Kylo. Welcome,” she said invitingly. 

 

Her right hand beckoned him forward. Her body was on display in a way that most women in the village would be scandalized to see, she wearing a short tunic that revealed her flat stomach, and a skirt with a slit that ended just above her knees. She seemed to be leaning against a tree, legs spread and bent slightly. Her left hand fell down to her right thigh, sliding up invitingly. Golden bracelets clanged together on both her wrists as she moved.

 

Her right side was bathed in the blue light, while her head and left were still hiding in shadow. He tried to see her face but couldn't until he was barely a foot apart from her.

 

“Kneel, Kylo, to claim your destiny,” she commanded.

 

He fell to her feet at once, his body alive to her every word and look. She leaned down, bringing her head into the light and near his own. She studied him a moment, and he did the same. He saw the top of her head, a pair of short, curved horns upon her human face. Her long, dark hair acted like an angelic halo while the horns gave the impression that she was no more than a demon. Was she a creature of the forest, or a fae? 

 

“Tell me, Kylo,” she asked as she pointed to her horns, “is this what you want? To have magic? To become one with the forest?”

 

“Yes,” he declared loudly, “this is exactly what I want.”

 

Darkness fell upon the glen, covering all in dark blue shadow.

 

His eyes burned into hers, trying to tell her silently that he wanted her, too. Her grin became wider as the darkness grew.

 

“Then put your wrists out in front of you and lean your head down. You need something new to channel the magic with.”

 

He did as she requested, and he heard her remove two of her bracelets. She rolled them onto his wrists, and he tried to get up. The problem was that he couldn't. 

 

“Did I say you could get up yet, slave?” she cackled.

 

His body burned as he looked and saw that the two bracelets now looked like handcuffs, a slight, golden chain connecting them and being held by her.

 

“I don't understand.”

 

“It takes many years of living here to be worthy of the magic. I'm going to take away your pride, and then you'll be worthy of the magic. Then, you might develop something like these,” she said, her left hand touching a horn lightly.

 

“No,” he protested, panic filling him at the loss of his freedom. 

 

“Oh yes. Don't worry, Kylo. You'll thank me one day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


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